What Are the Most Social Features of Microsoft's New Windows Phone 8?

Microsoft's big week continues, following the introduction of the company's new Surface tablet on Monday.

Since Microsoft unveiled the details of its newest mobile operating system this morning at the Windows Phone Summit in San Francisco, Windows Phone 8 has been trending for most of the day, with a bit of "NFC" and "Windows Phone 7.8" trends dabbled in there as well. According to Topsy.com, Windows Phone 8 has been mentioned over 26,000 times on Twitter today, with over 2,000 mentions in the past hour.

So what are the features that have everyone talking and tweeting?

Most importantly, Microsoft has completely re-coded its Windows Phone so that it can be compatible with desktop computers and other Windows 8 devices, which should prove to be quite advantageous for developers and IT professionals.

The phone also has an updated start screen, organized with customizable and resizable tiles for personalized and manageable feel.

Other impressive features include provisions for a digital wallet (thanks to native support for NFC hardware), the prominence of Nokia Maps, new screen resolutions, microSD cards for data and app transfers, and mobile versions of Microsoft’s popular Office apps. The device will also have integrated VoIP for video and voice chats via Skype, which Microsoft owns.

It was then revealed that older phones won't be as useful or glamorous anymore in the Windows world, with the disappointing news that current Windows 7 phones and Nokia Lumia 900 headsets won't upgrade to Windows 8 but rather to a Windows 7.8 program, leaving recent purchasers in the lurch.

For those unaffected by that news, the new products should be available this fall, with the software developer kit expected later this summer.

GSMINsider.com's overview of the Windows Phone 8 is getting a lot of attention on YouTube.

Back in February, this tech-based YouTube channel gave an in-depth review of the leaked details of the device.